Strangers
by Poisonsnake23
Summary: Kyouya is tired and angry and so he runs. He runs to a small cafe and is stuck there till the rain clears. Lucky for him there are many others stuck too. One such stranger is willing to chat and Kyouya finds himself smiling for the first time in a long while. The stranger's name? "Harry, Just Harry." - the love story of a boy named Harry and a teen named Kyo.


This is a little thing I wrote, inspired by similar works on here. I may add another chapter or so exploring the revelation to the host club, the revelation of Harry's childhood. I may also include other conversations and another chapter from Harry's point of view. But leave comments and let me know what's wanted/needed.

It was raining outside and Kyouya, for all his knowledge and strength, had no clue where he was or how to get home. All he knew was that it was raining. It was 3 o'clock on a Friday afternoon, the limo had broken down and his brother hadn't been able to hold back a scathing comment. It was raining.

Kyouya didn't know why he ran. But he had. The comment hadn't even been that bad, but he supposed the day itself had gotten to him. Suoh and his stupid ideas of a highschool host club had gotten to him. So when the truth that his father ultimately hated him and thought him useless was shoved in his face? Well, it had been just a bit too much. So he had run.

And now he didn't know what was going on and this area of town was neither familiar nor friendly to one his status. Those few people on the street looked as the Suoh heir would say, "positively commoner."

But if he pulled out his phone now it would just get soaked from the rain. He really did not need that extra annoyance right now, so instead he just sucked it up and went into the nearest cafe.

Of course he didn't expect it to be full of highschoolers from the nearby school Orin. Of course he really should have given the time, the day and the general direction he had run in. And of course they would be taking shelter from the rain.

He looked around and realised he really really stood out, his uniform, even if it was only the middleschool one, a sign of much higher class. He also realise some people were looking at him with quite a lot of disdain,eyes sharp, threatening. Maybe he should just walk back out and deal with the rain, find another cafe, a much less threatening one. Just as he said that of course the rain, which seemed to be quickly turning into a storm, poured down ten fold. Okay so no, he wasn't going back out into the rain. He could deal with this.

So ignoring the glares he headed to the front counter where a plain looking young girl sat, eyes tracing the lines of thick book. She didn't look up as he approached.

"Excuse me," wide eyes and a shocked expression turn his way as the girl realised she had been remiss in her duties.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, "just got really into the book."

Kyouya wasn't sure what the usual social expectation was, was he meant to respond with something similar? Was he meant to simply state his order? But then, he wasn't even sure what he wanted.

"So, what will it be?" It seemed the latter was more appropriate. That was good to know.

"Just a cappuccino please."

"What size would you like that?"

"Large."

The girl was patient with him, that was nice. At least she wasn't adding to the hate filled stares that seemed to be targeted at him. "Will that be all today sir?"

"Yes thank you."

"Wonderful, take a number and find a seat, it will be brought out to you in just a moment."

Right. Take a seat. Of course.

Grabbing the closest number, which happened to be 17, Kyouya started his hunt for a seat. A hunt which really wasn't that difficult to find but more difficult to chose his target.

The first option was asking to sit with a boy who appeared to be his own age from the middle school connected to Orin. He seemed to be the only one not outright glaring at Kyouya so it seemed promising, but he would have to interrupt him and potentially the boy might just target him because of that. Or he might try and instigate a conversation. The young Ootori didn't know which would be worse. His second option was sitting next to one of the glaring teens.

So ultimately he found himself walking up to the quiet teen, and politely asking if he could sit.

The black haired boy barely looked up, but the look he did send was a small bit welcoming more than anything else. Kyouya took it as a good sign. So he sat, places his number on the table and pulled out his phone to order to see how long it might take to organise a way home.

So engrossed in trying to contact his driver he was unaware of the curious pair of green eyes that turned his way. Green vibrant eyes that had, just a moment ago, been enjoying the thundering water outside, enjoying the lightning that was on its way, the energy that was fizzing in the air. Now, however, they gazed upon the teen across from him. The black haired teen did not recognise the uniform the other wore. It was unlike his own, higher quality and white and printine. He was sure had his uniform been as white as the other boys it would have gotten stained on the first day.

Kyouya unaware as he tried to contact his driver. Key word: try. The storm, it would seem, had temporarily caused interference in the connection. Meaning he was stuck here. In this cafe. He groaned, the person across the table blinking owlishly at him.

"What are you staring at?" The middle schooler grumbled. This whole day had been a nightmare.

"You."

"Oh yes for god sakes but why?!" In his annoyance Kyouya offhandedly noted the teens interesting and barely their accent. Of course when he had sat down the Ootori had noted the uropean features but the lack of accent showed high intelligence and prestige.

"You seem to be annoyed." The teen tilted his head to the side, green eyes almost glowing with a bizarre curiosity. "Why?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Why shouldn't you?" Okay, that was an interesting point. "I am a stranger from a different school, someone who you have never met and probably never will again, of course statistically the chance is always there but it is low. Regardless. I can not judge. I am just a stranger at a coffee shop asking a question. So why?"

Maybe it was the badgering, maybe it was the way the kids logic somehow made sense. But Kyouya did tell him. Told him the obnoxious half french boy kept going on about this stupid idea, about how his father hated him, wouldn't even look at him, how he had run and he didn't have connection because of the storm. He told him. Told the glowing luminescent green eyes secrets that he had barely told himself, let alone anyone else.

And when it was finished the storm was stronger, lightning glowing and thunder crackling. The coffee had come and gone and the boy across from him had ordered english breakfast tea. It had been close to 2 hours and most of the cafe was empty. All the glares gone. Yet the storm raged on.

"So who are you?" Kyouya broke the silence that had settled. It had been a good silence, a gentle one. The boy seemed sad that it had been broken.

"My name is Harry." Their was the accent again.

"Harry?" Was the boy so european to not know the custom of last names.

"Well if I told you my last name I wouldn't be a stranger now would I?"

Kyouya laughed, a deep freeing laugh not bounded by the lifestyle he had been forced to live. "No I suppose not."

"What about you then? What's your name?" The newly named Harry ask.

"Just call me… Kyo."

Harry laughed slightly, "Alright Kyo."

They spent the rest of the time in silence, both comfortable to stare and drink their respective drinks until the time came where one would leave. Surprisingly it was Kyouya, his phone finally getting reception and the young man calling a car to come get him.

He left with a gentle smile, knowing it would be his last for a while. "Bye, Harry." He found it weird to not use suffixes, but adding one would be worse.

"See you soon, Kyo," and with the big green eyes smiling at him, he left, not realising that in his pocket was a small slip of paper with Harry's number on it.

It had been two months since that evening when Kyouya finally messaged the number. His anxiety was skyrocketing and he felt the need to get away, to break free. And it was raining, for some reason whenever it rained his mind drifted to the coffee shop, to feeling free and relaxed. To smiling.

So he messaged the number a small message.

"Coffee?"  
-Kyo

The response was almost immediate.

"I thought you'd never ask."

-Harry

Kyouya could already feel the beginning of smile stretching across his features. No, not Kyouya, Kyo. Because the two were very different, Kyouya was the droid who was built for his father, a perfect mask. Kyo was real, and emotional, everything Kyouya wasn't. Everything Kyouya couldn't be.

And so Kyo headed to the Coffee shop and sat with the stranger. He ordered the same as last time, and just sat. It was slightly awkward, the other teen wasn't wearing his uniform this time, instead dressed in a simple pair of pants and a shirt. The silence made Kyo hyper aware. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Harr-," he began, but found that the teen in question had cut him off.

"Shh…" he said, one finger at his own lips and the other pointing outside the window. "Watch."

Kyo stared for a few seconds, eyes following the slightly tanned skin but found nothing. "What?"

"No no, just watch, watch and feel."

Again Kyo watched. He watched and waited, unsure about what was about to happen. And then a hand was on his on the table, the tanned skin covering his entire one and a feeling of energy washed through him just as rain began to pour outside. The second the water hit the pavement it was like a wash of energy ran through him.

He quickly looked up, eyes wide and brain alert. What was that?

But Harry had retreated, a soft smile tracing his lips as he stared down at his drink, one hand slowly stirring it. "Wonderful is it not?" He blew slightly into his drink. "The feeling just before a storm hits. Creates a buzz of energy through you. If you watch closely enough, if you try and feel the earth as it is hit, you can feel it. Feel the life and energy. It's so wonderful. So beautiful." However the green eyed teen wasn't watching the rain, he was watching his drink, a look of pure peace across his face.

Kyo couldn't say anything to disagree, so he just nodded his head.

"So what's eating at you today? I thought you'd never call."

The teen nodded again, his inability to speak perhaps becoming a tic of Kyo's. Harry's raised eyebrow made him realise that more than a nod was needed this time. "The same as last time."

"So, an annoying person who wants a friend and your brothers trying to create this idea that because you aren't good enough for your father, you aren't good enough at all?" The greened eyed teens words carried sarcasm, the ends tipped with laughter.

Kyo just shrugged. "Yeah, I just couldn't stay at home anymore, the house is smothering. And Tamaki insists on visiting whenever he feels like it." Harry grinned, pulling his coffee to his mouth to drink. Suddenly the Ootori boy was curious, "what are you drinking?"

"Mocha, they make really good ones here." Kyo smiled because while the boy was oddly serious for a 15 year old he was also rather eccentric. The very fact he wasn't attempting to create a mask or hide behind a wall warmed Kyo.

He lent his chin on his elbow and smiled, "if you say so."

They sat in silence for a bit, Kyo pondering what he was doing at the coffee shop and Harry smiling gently out the window as the other teen stared. Harry smiled a lot, Kyo noticed, he also noticed how every now and then his eyes almost seemed to glow, and his body trembled, as if he were trying to quell some mysterious laughter.

"What about you?"

Harry looked over at the other boy, his head staying still as if only his eyes had even responded. His smile slipped slightly. "What about me?"

"What's bothering you?" Kyo seemed to be very curious today.

Harry simply shrugged. "Well a lot, but unless you really want to hear, I would rescind the question."

The Ouran student found it odd, some of the words the other used were not often found in a conversation of this kind. Odd and interesting. "I do." And he was surprised to find he actually did.

Once again the other chucked. "Alright then, if you're sure. Well, my uncle just died, which is not a big deal considering he's a giant ass. Well, he was a giant ass. And my aunt blames me, which is lovely. She thinks I'm sick, of course she isn't technically wrong. My parents passed on a rare genetic condition, skipped her. She thinks me spending time with him infected him, making him kill himself."

Kyo tried not to react, but it was quite a lot. Kyouya would be silent and simply look and nod, Kyouya would try and analyze the correct answer. But right now he wasn't Kyouya, he was Kyo, and Kyo was more in touch with his emotions, he didn't hide between the business mask. So he gently said, "I'm sorry."

While slightly awkward it made the other teen smile slightly. "It's okay." his voice was gentle and soft and Kyo had the urge to reach and touch the limp hand on the table. "He was a bastard after all, and I know it's not my fault. But my friends are not talking to me at the moment and my family's company is struggling which is absolutely wonderful."

Kyo, while not Kyouya, still struggled to show the sadness he felt. Instead he zeroed in on the "family business," perhaps he could help. "What field is the company in?"

Harry, who had been staring wistfully out the window, smirked slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"I might be able to help, although I'm not sure."

He chuckled. "Mainly hotels," Kyo didn't respond. He refused to answer the part of him that wanted to ask more. "My godfather though, he has a bad reputation. Very bad. His name is linked to my family's of course, and then people avoid the hotel of course. So we aren't getting as much income as we used too. They don't know what to do." Harry was still smiling, a sad little smile. But his eyes had turned to a spot just to the left of Kyo's shoulder, not quite focusing on anything.

"Maybe, if you have the money to spare, you could remake the hotel, rename, renovate with modern technology." Harry's eyes focussed intently on the talking middle school student. "The current hotel is associated with your… godfather? You said?" A nod. " The new look would peak people's interest and get rid of the association."

Green eyes were sad. "I think it was suggested originally, but they said the cost was too much. But thank you Kyo, I think they would be willing to revisit it."

The way Harry said his name made him warm inside. Along with that gentle smile.

It was silent for a bit before Kyo asked, "Where is that accent from?"

Again Harry chuckled, leaning his elbow on the table and his head on his hand. It mirrored Kyo's own position. But he didn't answer. Instead he smiled out the window and watched as the rain poured down. They sat like that in silence for another few hours, the light of slowly fading into dark when the green eyed man stood and smiled at the other.

"Thank you Kyo. See you need time."

Harry was unsure whether he should message his new friend again. It had been close to a month. He missed him. The black haired teen whose smile seemed rare and gentle, a gift to the world and not often shared.

He had helped Harry a lot, even if he didn't realise it. The suggestion to remodel, even if it had already been in the back of his mind, had helped further the process, finally pushed the young man to do it.

He wondered if Kyo would be willing to meet up regularly, to just chat and talk. But how to message and ask. In the end he decided to send a simple message.

"Coffee?"

-Harry

The response was almost immediate.

"I would love too."

-Kyo

And so they decided to meet up once a month to chat.

No one found out about Kyo. When he asked he simply said it was a business arrangement. Because Kyouya wouldn't meet a friend for no business reason. Kyouya wouldn't go out of his way to go to a small cafe in a more rundown part of the city.

Kyo loved it though. Kyo lived for it.

Despite the question, however, Kyo still didn't know where the accent was from. And he didn't feel comfortable researching. It wasn't his place.

On Kyouya's 17th birthday, his first year of high school, the host club tried to celebrate for him. What that meant was a very sweet cake given to him by Honi-senpai and Tamaki tackling him with hugs. He nodded acceptingly to the small number of gifts and calculated how much money he could make off of his birthday photos.

On Kyo's 17th birthday, the first year was seated at the usual spot in the cafe, the usual day having to fall on his birthday somehow. Harry had already been sitting there when he got there, which was the usual case. Except this time he had a cake in front of him, and Kyo, for the 6 months or so he had come to the cafe, had not seen Harry with a cake in front of him.

The green-eyed boy, donned in the familiar Orin highschool uniform, smiled softly at him as he sat. "Kyo," the name was gentle and kind. Not loud and obnoxious like Kyouya had been experiencing all day. It made a smile spring to his face.

"Harry," he said in turn.

The cake was nudged towards the center of the table and Kyo noticed that there were two forks on the plate. "Share with me?"

Kyo smiled and nodded, unable to deny Harry. He gently picked up a fork as Harry started talking.

"How was your day?"

"It was okay, my friends were over the top. As usual. But it's better now."

Harry laughed. "The cake is that good?"

Kyo blushed. "No, I really enjoy our time spent together. The cake has little to do with it."

A smirk lit the face of the green-eyed teen. "How was the host club?"

"It was canceled today, too many things going on."

This seemed to pique Harry's interest and he reached out blindly to get some more cake. Not watching his hand knocked Kyo's and the blush on the boys face intensified. Harry didn't seem to notice. "What was happening that was so important as to cancel the club?"

"Oh just a club members birthday," but Kyo didn't want to say it was his.

"Ahh," there was that smile again.

"What about you?" Kyo asked, "Hows Orin?"

A shrug was his response. "It's okay, but sometimes overwhelming. It seems a lot of the students just want to have fun. Which is good, in small doses. But my day too, is better now."

A some point Kyo realized that Harry's hand had knocked his own again, except this time it didn't move away.

They shared small smiles and other small conversations. They talked about the hotel and how it was going and shared stories from their childhoods. Kyo even ventured to ask Harry about when he thought it may rain again. A question the teen was very excited to answer.

This time it was Kyo that left first, the sky ever-darkening and the plate empty of cake. His hand felt cold without the other's presence but he had to get home.

Just as he was leaving though he heard his name in that delightful accent. "Kyo," he turned slightly and looked back at Harry, "Happy birthday."

He didn't Harry knew, and he hoped that Harry wouldn't ask why his face was so read. As it was Kyo didn't really know either.

Late in the night, long hours since their meeting, Kyo would sit awake in his room and wonder to himself over why he had gone so red. Why his hand tingled at the touch the other boys touch.

Of course he didn't have to wonder much. He knew why. He had always kind of known. Known his inclination and his habits. Always known who he dreamed about late at night, or rather, what he dreamed about. And without a doubt it would always include flat chests and hard limbs, missing the breasts he had heard other men dream about.

Of course Kyo knew, he knew what it meant. But then that was Kyo, not Kyouya. Kyouya love gentled women, smart women, women who could challenge him to a game of chess.

Kyo loved gentle kind men who smiled and made him smile in return.

At the next meeting there was no cake. Harry and Kyo talked and chuckled. Harry longed for the rain and Kyo for the others touch again. And they did. Just gentle brushes here and there. But nothing more. They were but strangers after all.

When Haruhi joined the host club but a few months later Kyouya felt a bridge begin to form. He felt himself slipping into Kyo more and more around her. She was so like Harry. She was so calm and gentle.

Kyouya wondered if he could love her as Kyo loved Harry. Love her for her soul and not her body. His father would be so happy. His father wouldn't declare him no longer an Ootori when he found out.

Kyo wondered if Kyouya could ever accept his love for Harry the way he longed for the love of Haruhi.

"Kyo," it wasn't the usual gentle greeting. It was the start of something. A conversation Kyo didn't think he could have.

"Harry?" He wondered if he sounded as scared and naive as he felt.

"Do you think you could hate me?"

Kyo's heart felt broken at the words. So soft, so sad. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," Here he reached out, he reached and boldly grabbed Harry's hand. He had never done this before. Never crossed this line. Everything had always been gentle, things that could be ignored, they could pretend they weren't happening. "I care for you, more than I can say."

Harry smiled at him, "I am moving schools."

"What?" Kyo didn't have it in him to ask where. He didn't want to know.

"I am moving schools, and… I am afraid that you might find out something about me. Something you won't like."

Kyo shook his head slightly, "that won't happen. I promise."

Harry smiled again and said, "I hope so."

After they were silent. The clouds outside going grey. Kyo didn't move his hand.

"Share the rain with me?"

Kyo smiled. He could forget about the moving, about the promise of shared secrets.

They were quiet until they left. Kyo moving first to make towards the door. That is until Harry once again said his name.

"Kyo?" Said teen turned, finding himself nose to nose with the other. Suddenly a soft kiss was placed against his cheek and the word, "English," was muttered.

The answer to a long-awaited question, an obvious answer really. The third born questioned why it was so important. Why it felt like something massive had just been revealed?

He didn't ask. He just shared a small smile and said, "thank you."

A week later Kyouya walked the halls of Ouran blocking out the kiss with the stranger from the cafe. His stranger. He hid the smile he wanted to show. Here he was Kyouya. Here he was the perfectly sculpted image his father wanted. He smirked.

Instead, he thought of the teen Tamaki had been talking about. A transfer student who ran all of their family's companies. The student was head of both Black Institute, a company that had its finger in almost every area, and Potters Co., which, while specialised in the medical field, also controlled a majority of the worlds Hotels and constantly donated to large charity organisations, usually based around children.

The new student was in control of it all, his parents having passed away at a very young age. Until recent years the company had worked on its own, the herald names going down the drain from poor management. That is until two years ago when the heir had come forward and taken control. The companys had turned around almost straight away.

The teen, a member of Kyouya's own class it would seem, was being reported as being a genius as almost all of the companies different areas were boosted. The teen, if the large crowd around Kyouya's classroom was any indication, was also quite popular.

The Ootori would admit that he too would like to see the new student but he refused to look so openly. Instead he would approach the other, who he realised he didn't even know the name of, when it was best to do so. He would offer up a business deal. Something he couldn't refuse. It would help the Ootori company and his father would be very happy. Although Kyouya was pretty sure the heir and his father had already tried to organize a business arrangement.

From what Kyouya had heard it hadn't gone well. The black haired teen wondered exactly what kind of person was this young lord, because he was also a lord on top of everything else, was if he made his father upset. It was quite curious indeed.

With Tamaki bouncing at his shoulder, Kyouya put on a kind business smirk and walked towards the crowd. Perhaps he could help the teen and earn his favour that way. Lead him away from the crowd and all the people.

As he neared people parted rather quickly, intent on not getting in the way of the "cool host."

And as he neared it got quieter, only one voice talking. A voice that was strangely familiar and warmed apart of him inside that only warmed when he talked to Harry.

Kyouya froze as he made eye contact with the young lord, his eyes going wide and his hands clenching at his side. He was lucky his jaw hadn't dropped.

The teen across from him smiled gently, his green eyes less vibrant, more restrained. He held out a hand. "Potter Harrison."

Kyouya seemed to kick in then, the part of him wanting to unleash Kyo being held back by shock. "Ootori Kyouya."

"Well, lovely to meet you Ootori-san."

"Likewise, Potter-san." Kyouya had no idea what was happening. Why this was happening. As far as he knew Harry was a young teen who was struggling with money and went to Orin. His family owned a small hotel and had sent him to Orin because that was the best place for him.

"Please, just call me Harry."

Kyouya smiled. "Only if you call me Kyouya." Why did he answer with that? Why had he not argued and refused? Why was he staring Harry in the eye and even giving him the chance to respond? Why did one half of him want to hug Harry and the other half want to run, and why was he struggling to choose which side to listen to?

Why were they playing this teasing gentle game?

"Now if you must excuse me I'm going to go sit at my desk,"the little bit of light in the usually glowing eyes dimmed slightly, sadness filling them, "but perhaps we could talk later Harry-san?"

"I would like that."

Later turned out to be at lunch, Kyouya having sent a small message with just the room name and the time. He knew without a doubt Harry would be there.

And he was, sitting back on a desk waiting patiently.

"Hi Kyo," he said gently.

"Harry?" He didn't know why he asked, but he had to, he had to check if they were still friends, if they could still talk and smile. Even though they were strangers anymore. Even though with one google search Kyouya could find out everything about Harry, could they still be friends? Did he still want to be?

"Yeah."

And somehow Kyouya was sitting next to him on the desk. A desk not designed for two people, although one may argue it wasn't designed to be sat on at all, but two people was pushing it. Still they sat, Kyo enjoying the comfort. Because was Kyo now, even if the lines were being blurred and it was becoming harder and harder to find the line between the two. Harder and harder to put on the mask. It had only been one day and the mask was already cracking.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Kyo wasn't sure if he wanted apologies or not.

"It's okay. It makes sense. We are… were… strangers."

"We haven't been strangers for a long time though, not really." Harry said, looking a little sad.

Kyouya sighed, "I guess we haven't."

"Can I call you Kyouya?" He nodded, what else was there to do. His separation was already falling apart and hearing that name on those lips made his heart ache.

"Can I call you Harry?"

"Nothing would make me happier… Kyouya." The way the both said it sent shivers up his spine and although he was sure he could pinpoint why he also knew he would rather not. "Can I share something else?" Kyouya nodded, even as a hand gripped his own. "What do you know of magic?"

Kyouya, even as a muggle, did know of magic, as rare as it was. He didn't know much, but he knew, his own sister having been born with it running through her veins.

"My sister is a witch."

Harry smiled and looked at him. "Wonderful."

And then they were kissing, and Kyouya couldn't breath because it seemed to have come out of nowhere. The words, the kiss. But even so he felt that electricity he would usually feel from the rain. The electricity he had long thought was the cause of magic but had never dared to ask. Except now it was stronger, it ran through him like fire. Just like the soft kiss that slowly eased open his mouth and asked for the invitation.

The invitation was given just as the rain hit the ground outside.

Slowly Harry pulled back, his eyes bright bright green and his face a deep tan. "I love you, my little stranger."

Kyouya melted into the hug that came next and decided maybe it was okay if his two sides met. Maybe it was okay.


End file.
